Why Do Some Invertebrates, Such as Lobsters, Show a "Stair-Step

question 17

Multiple Choice

Why do some invertebrates, such as lobsters, show a "stair-step" survivorship curve?

• A) Many invertebrates mate and produce offspring on multiyear cycles.
• B) Within a species of invertebrates, younger individuals have a higher survivorship than older individuals.
• C) Many invertebrates molt in order to grow, and they are vulnerable to predation during their "soft shell" stage.
• D) Many invertebrate species have population cycles that go up and down according to the frequency of sunspots.
• E) The number of fertilized eggs that mature to become females in many species of invertebrates is based on ambient temperature.

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Definitions:

Kinetic Energy

The energy that an object possesses due to its motion, calculated as half the mass times the velocity squared.

Molecular Level

Pertains to the scale at which properties and phenomena are described in terms of molecules and their interactions.

Collision Theory

A scientific theory proposing that for a reaction to occur, particles must collide with sufficient energy and proper orientation.

Chemical Reactions

Processes in which substances interact to form new substances with different chemical and physical properties.